


Their Promise

by randomwriter57



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, I suppose, M/M, this was written before it actually happened in season two so excuse my plot diversion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2451122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomwriter57/pseuds/randomwriter57
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’ll come back, right?” Makoto’s eyes were wide, his teeth making faint dents in his bottom lip.<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“And then we can stay together, forever?”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>Makoto held out his free hand, his smallest finger extended from the fist. “Pinky promise?”<br/>Haruka hesitated. <em>‘Pinky promises are for children!’</em> he wanted to say. But the words were trapped in his throat, shackled by the sheer desperation in Makoto’s eyes.<br/>He interlocked their pinkies. “I promise.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Their Promise

**Author's Note:**

> This was my piece for the second day of my 30 Day Challenge in September, the prompt being "a promise". I actually wrote this the week before Makoto told Haruka he was going to Tokyo in the actual anime, so please just take this as my version of the scene (obviously it's a little less angsty, but yeah).  
> I hope you enjoy it!

In the garden of a beautiful yet old home, two children stood facing each other. One of them - Haruka, the one with the black hair and eternally cool expression - would soon be moving to Tokyo with his parents - away from his steadfast companion, Makoto, who stood across from him, green eyes watery.

(What neither Haruka nor Makoto knew was that he would only stay in the city for two weeks until he finally kicked up enough of a fuss to be allowed to return to Iwatobi, on the condition that he would live with his grandmother, but that didn’t matter. That was for the future.)

Makoto rubbed a small fist at his eye, making it even redder than it already was. “I-I don’t want you to go, Haru-chan…”

Haruka knew why - he didn’t even need to ask. Makoto would be left alone, in a class full of faces he recognised but none which he could call his friend. It had always been ‘Haruka and Makoto’. It would never be the same without Haruka by his side - even Makoto could never see it happening.

(And truthfully, Haruka couldn’t live without Makoto, either. He was just too stubborn to admit it.)

“I don’t want to go,” he mumbled, looking down at the ground. At least he could admit that much. If he had any choice in the matter at all, he would choose to stay in a heartbeat.

Makoto let out a choked sob. “Then don’t!”

Haruka sighed, but didn’t reply. He and Makoto both knew he couldn’t stay. He didn’t have a choice.

The older boy felt a warm hand grasp his own, its familiar warmth enveloping his naturally cooler skin. He did not protest.

“You’ll come back, right?” Makoto’s eyes were wide, his teeth making faint dents in his bottom lip.

“Yeah.”

“And then we can stay together, forever?”

“Yeah.”

Makoto held out his free hand, his smallest finger extended from the fist. “Pinky promise?”

Haruka hesitated. _‘Pinky promises are for children!’_ he wanted to say. But the words were trapped in his throat, shackled by the sheer desperation in Makoto’s eyes.

He interlocked their pinkies. “I promise.”

Makoto’s eyes lit up, the green becoming so vibrant Haruka was almost overwhelmed. “Thank you, Haru-chan!”

 

* * *

 

 

Years later, there was a knock at Haruka’s door.

A few years ago the house that had once been his late grandmother’s was passed on to him in lieu of her death. It hadn’t changed much since then - only a picture of the previous owner had been added to the shrine already commemorating her husband. The plain flooring and the ornaments decorating the shelves remained to gather dust. The garden was still as well-kept as it had been years before (due to a lot of effort on Haruka’s part to mow the grass and keep the flowerbeds tidy and weed-free). Lately, however, he hadn’t had as much time to look after the garden, due to examinations and swimming and having to think about his future.

Haruka was having dinner when the knock sounded, so he was rightfully stumped as to who it could be - it was a bit late for visitors, after all.

Pushing his confusion away, he made his way to the front door, sliding it open to reveal a smiling brunet.

“Makoto?” Why was he here? Usually at this time he’d be having his dinner too, with his family. Something must have happened.

“Hi, Haru.” He smiled apologetically. “Can I come in?”

Still thoroughly confused, Haruka stepped aside to let Makoto in, sliding the door shut again as the taller boy slipped his shoes off at the _genkan_. They returned to the main room, sitting down at the small table. Haruka’s dinner (mackerel, as usual) was still steaming on its plate.

“Ah, sorry for intruding during dinner!”

Haruka could see right through Makoto’s apology. _‘You must have known I’d be having dinner right now. What’s wrong?’_ Instead of saying this, he elected for a shorter statement. “It’s fine. Do you want anything?”

“Ah, no, thank you.” Haruka got the feeling Makoto knew he wasn’t talking about the food, but he said nothing. He would wait until Makoto was ready to tell him what he wanted.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Haruka taking the opportunity to eat some of his quickly cooling dinner. It was a tenser silence than their usual. Yes, something was definitely wrong.

“Haruka.”

His head shot up. Makoto never used his full name (he knew how much Haruka disliked it) unless something really serious was going on. Not only that, but his voice had been quiet too. Almost as though he was…afraid? No, that couldn’t be it. Nothing about his house was remotely frightening, even to Makoto (who was certainly famed for being a scaredy-cat, despite his size).

The brunet’s eyes were downcast, focusing on his hands, which he was twisting and grasping as though trying to find some sort of comfort. His fringe fell almost completely over his eyes, Haruka noticed. It needed to be trimmed.

“Makoto?” Haruka voiced after a minute-long pause. He was beginning to get worried - _seriously_ worried.

Makoto opened his mouth, taking a deep breath, before looking up at Haruka. His eyes looked moist, filled with a sadness so inexplicable that Haruka couldn’t fathom a reason for its existence. But he knew one thing for sure: something was _definitely_ wrong.

“I’m sorry, Haru.” His breathing shuddered. A single tear fell down his cheek, but still he gave a watery smile and a weak chuckle that seemed almost painful. “I’ve broken our promise.”

Haruka felt his eyes widen and his eyebrows furrow. What promise? What was Makoto talking about? Guilt flowed through him at the lack of promises in his memory. He had no idea what promise Makoto was talking about.

Makoto was able to tell - of course he was able to tell, he could read Haru like a book, and always had been able to. His face became sombre. “Remember the day you left with your parents? In the garden.”

It took a few seconds, but suddenly Haruka began to understand. He remembered their promise.

> _“And then we can stay together, forever? Pinky promise?”_

Somehow he felt even more confused than before.

“What do you mean? You’re still here, you’ve not gone anywhere.”

Makoto looked back down at the table. An agonising minute of silence clouded the atmosphere, awaiting the fatal statement. Another tear spilled over as he met Haruka’s eyes once more.

“I’ve chosen to go to university in Tokyo.”


End file.
